In the most anticipated superhero showdown not involving a civil court case, Batman and Superman have yielded to Captain America, with Warner Bros. moving the release date of Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice up a full six weeks to avoid Marvel. Ever since it was announced that the DC film would square off against Captain America 3 on May 6, 2016, the debate over who would win in the fight has raged among comic-book movie box-office tally fans, with devotees offering all kinds of wild fantasy scenarios involving projected foreign returns and early Fandango reservations. But with Batman V. Superman now slated for March 25, 2016, all of that unabashed nerdiness can stop in favor of enjoying some superhero movies.
Naturally, a Warner Bros. source insists to The Wrap that this move is definitely “not flinching,” saying that March is instead a “fantastic corridor for us,” now that the summer movie season officially begins in spring. Still, given the way the showdown provoked posturing from both sides—though mostly from the rightfully cocky Marvel camp—and Marvel’s continued domination, it’s likely many will characterize the decision as Warner Bros. blinking. For example, The Wrap, who reported the decision under the headline, “Warner Bros. Blinks In Marvel Showdown.”
But just to prove that it’s totally confident in Batman and beyond, Warner Bros. also set release dates for nine as-yet-unannounced DC films, taking the studio all the way to the year 2020. Though these have been rumored to be movies involving the Justice League, its members Wonder Woman and Aquaman, the previously confirmed Sandman, and Dwayne Johnson as Shazam, nothing has been officially announced—and the release dates don’t match the ones reported by Nikki Finke, either. Still, here’s what the slate looks like:
Untitled DC Film – 08/05/16
Untitled DC Film – 06/23/17
Untitled DC Film – 11/17/17
Untitled DC Film – 03/23/18
Untitled DC Film – 07/27/18
Untitled WB Event Film – 11/16/18
Untitled DC Film – 04/05/19
Untitled DC Film – 06/14/19
Untitled DC Film – 04/03/20
Untitled DC Film – 06/19/20
Untitled WB Event Film – 11/20/20
All of these dates are believed to be firm, provided Marvel doesn’t also announce anything on them.